Just hours after climbing from a crashed airliner in the frigid Hudson River, Larry Snodgrass was back on a jet Thursday night, headed home to South Carolina.

Snodgrass, 59, of Lake Wylie, is the national sales manager for Massillon-based U.S. Chemical & Plastics.

He flies every week, and has seen aviation mishaps before — there was the time the plane’s front landing gear didn’t work on a flight to Orlando — but has never had a trip like the one he survived this week.

Wrapping up a business trip to Philadelphia, New Jersey and New York, Snodgrass boarded US Airways Flight 1549 Thursday afternoon at La Guardia Airport bound for Charlotte, N.C.

Settling in for the ride home, Snodgrass waited for when he could take out his laptop. He had only been in the air for five minutes when he heard an explosion.

From his seat near the right wing, Snodgrass could see “a huge ball of fire.” He felt the plane turn, but assumed they would make it back to the airport.

“I thought it was an engine issue and that was about it,” he said.

Then the captain’s voice came over the cabin speakers.

“Prepare for impact.”

Some passengers on the plane prayed. Children were crying.

Snodgrass said he had just enough time to turn on his Blackberry and bang out a text message to his wife, Carol, before the plane splashed into the water.

In the message, Snodgrass said he explained how the engine had exploded and the plane was going to crash. He told her how much he loved her and their two adult children.

The jet dug into the water like it was wearing cleats.

“The captain did one heck of a job with landing the aircraft,” Snodgrass said.

Within moments, he was on the wing, helping other passengers into rafts. He also called Carol to tell her he was safe.

All 155 passengers survived.

Only later, did they learn that both of the plane’s engines failed, apparently from hitting birds, he said.

After warming up and getting a meal, Snodgrass and a few other Flight 1549 passengers, were back in the air that night.

Seated in the back of the plane, they didn’t say a word after take-off until the plane climbed to about 10,000 feet, Snodgrass said.